It just seems like yesterday that my sister and I were preparing our freshly picked apples from our back yard Jonathon Apple tree for all fall recipes.  Mom used apples for just about everything.

I had not picked any apples for a long time and decided to venture out and make a trip to an Apple Orchard.  Let’s do this!  Last weekend my sister and I went out to pick apples at Ziegler’s Apple Orchard, located at 32363 North Bacon, Grayslake, IL, 60030  There phone number is 847-546-1228 to check on availability.  This orchard is a very nice place you can take children to pick apples with.

Well, I must say we got carried away.  We were well prepared with cart and empty box to carry our harvest.  We talked and talked to catch up on everything that we had going on in our lives.  The weather  was great and it was so much fun finding the perfect apple tree to pick our apples from.

By the time we tried to wheel the cart up the hill, it took the two of us to get the cart to the road.  Luckily, their staff helped take the box from the cart and weigh it.  Well, it was 50 pounds!  It was so much fun, though the real fun will start now baking with these great apples!

I prepared some of the apples on my bamboo cutting board.  I love this board!  It does make cutting fruit and vegetables so much easier and is so easy to clean in hot soapy water, rinse and then towel dry.  This cutting board features a detailed laser cut image of the Barrington white House at the top of the board.

I have a recipe to share with all of you to celebrate the fall apple picking season.  My sister-in-law Deb shared this with me.  Thanks Deb!

Apple Fritter Cake

For the batter:

3 cups of flour  

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup butter, melted

6 small apples cored, peeled and diced

For the topping:

1 cup of butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. cinnamon

For the glaze:

2 cups of powdered sugar

5 tbsp. milk

1 tsp.vanilla

Start by mixing all the ingredients for the batter (except the butter) together in a bowl. Once combined, carefully pour in the melted butter. If you do this part with your mixer at a high speed it will splash everywhere. So slow is best. Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 pan, any smaller and it will overflow while baking. Evenly distribute the apples over the top of the batter. In a separate bowl mix together the topping, it will be thick so do your best to drop scoops of it evenly over the apples. Then take a knife and drag it in a swirly motion all over the pan allowing the topping to make friends with the apples and batter below.

Bake at 350 degrees for at least 40 minutes. Depending on how many apples you put in and how juicy they were you may need to increase your time. If the top is getting too brown you can always tent it with foil.

Once baked let sit for 20 minutes and then pour the glaze all over the cake.   A Recipe from “Home of My Heart”

Enjoy!

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